


Friend or Foe, Doesn't Matter

by DarkJediQueen



Series: The Guardians [49]
Category: Criminal Minds (US TV), Destiny (Video Games)
Genre: Crossover, Death, Genocide, M/M, Science Fantasy, War
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-10
Updated: 2019-04-10
Packaged: 2020-01-10 22:15:40
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,913
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18416936
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DarkJediQueen/pseuds/DarkJediQueen
Summary: It's back to the Dreadnaught to see if they can track down where Oryx is hiding on the ship.





	Friend or Foe, Doesn't Matter

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Rivermoon1970](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rivermoon1970/gifts).



> **Year** : The Far Future  
>  **Spoilers** : Destiny: Through D2: Black Armory, Criminal Minds: Up Through Season 14  
>  **Notes** : Trying my hardest to make sure that it'll make sense, with time, for people who don't play Destiny but you can find more information at the [Destiny Wikia](http://destiny.wikia.com/wiki/Destiny_Wiki). Some Dialogue is taken directly from the source material.  
>  **Beta** : Grammarly

**Title** : Friend or Foe, Doesn't Matter  
 **Series** : The Guardians  
 **Ratings** : Mature  
 **Warnings** : Graphic Depictions Of Violence  
 **Fandom(s)** : Criminal Minds, Destiny  
 **Category** : M/M  
 **Relationships** : Aaron Hotchner/Spencer Reid  
 **Characters** : Spencer Reid, Aaron Hotchner, Penelope Garcia, Jennifer "JJ" Jareau, Zavala, Eris Morn  
 **Tags** : Science Fantasy, Crossover, Death, War, Genocide  
 **Summary** : It's back to the Dreadnaught to see if they can track down where Oryx is hiding on the ship.  
 **Words** : 3,781  
 **Year** : The Far Future  
 **Spoilers** : Destiny: Through D2: Black Armory, Criminal Minds: Up Through Season 14  
 **Notes** : Trying my hardest to make sure that it'll make sense, with time, for people who don't play Destiny but you can find more information at the [Destiny Wikia](http://destiny.wikia.com/wiki/Destiny_Wiki). Some Dialogue is taken directly from the source material.  
 **Beta** : Grammarly  
 **Gift For** : rivermoon1970

 

Spencer rolled over in bed, or he tried to. He was asleep on his back which was very, very rare. He usually slept on his front with Aaron over him or on his die, cuddled into Aaron's chest or Aaron wrapped around his back. Spencer frowned and forced his eyes open. He looked down to see that Luna was there on the bed, draped over Spencer's legs. Spencer smiled at her and moved his arm down to scratch at her head.

"Hey girl, did you not want to leave me alone in bed after Aaron went on his run?" Spencer scratched at her head for a few minutes more and then tried to shove at her. He frowned as she just fought him and slumped even higher on his legs. She was now over his thighs so that meant he really couldn't move. She dropped her head down to where it was over his hips and up onto his stomach a little. Spencer slumped down onto the bed and laid his hand on her head to keep on petting her. She would get up at some point. She would get tired of not doing anything and just get up to allow Spencer to start his day. He knew there was a mission to head to the Dreadnaught again lined up for him, JJ, and Aaron but he had no clue when Zavala would actually set the mission to go.

The door opened, and Spencer turned expecting to see Aaron sweaty from a run but instead Aaron was carrying a tray of food.

"Oh, Luna you are a very good girl," Aaron said in lieu of a greeting to Spencer.

Spencer glared at him and then looked down at Luna whose tail was thumping the bed at the praise.

"Did you tell her to keep me in bed?" Spencer asked as Aaron walked over to the bed with a few strips of bacon in his hand. He held them out to Luna who gingerly grabbed them before sliding off of Spencer to eat them. Spencer tried to sit up, but Aaron was there laying the tray over Spencer's lap. It was one of the kinds with legs, and they dropped down to hold the tray over Spencer's lap. Spencer scooted up to where he was laying against the headboard and looked at the tray of food. It was more food than they had been eating, but then Spencer knew that Aaron was worrying about the fact that Spencer hadn't been eating a lot at meals.

"Yes, I did. I didn't want you getting up and ruining my surprise."

"Well, breakfast in bed is not that much of a surprise, Aaron. You bring food for us to eat all the time."

"I know, but I wanted to make you feel at least a little better."

"You do," Spencer said as he reached his hand out and cupped the side of Aaron's face. The ring was visible on Spencer's hand, but he refused to take it off. Uldren's light had disappeared three days before. Spencer felt numb when he wasn't feeling pissed. "You do make me feel better just by being here. I...I know I'm angry a lot and I'm trying to work on that."

"You are acting as you should. Grief doesn't manifest in the same way with all people."

"Petra is the last of the connection I have to my past, to my family. Ana is gone, Elsie is mostly gone, she's not the woman I remember at all. Mara is gone. Uldren is gone. Rasputin acts like he used to but then acts very different. He's lonely, and he's trying to do something that I don't know what it is. You and Jack are all that I have left. I don't want to lose either one of you."

"You won't," Aaron said. He leaned over and pressed a kiss to Spencer's forehead. "I'll fight Oryx himself to get back to you. Jack's safe here in the Tower. Nothing is going to happen to him."

Spencer was about to open his mouth and answer when his stomach growled very loudly. Aaron laughed and picked up a slice of toast and handed it over. Spencer took a huge bite of it, almost too much for his mouth to hold and started to chew. The silence that reigned after that should have felt weird, but it wasn't. Aaron filled up the silences in Spencer's life with love. Spencer just wished that he could help with that bit of darkness in Aaron, but until Aaron was ready to face it, there wasn't anything that Spencer could do. He knew that Aaron was keeping it in check to make sure that he was there for Spencer. Aaron had been about to talk about it when the attack happened. When Oryx ripped Spencer's world apart now Aaron was being strong for Spencer. When it was done, and Oryx was gone, Spencer would make sure that Aaron knew that Spencer could be strong for him too.

* * *

Spencer looked out from the landing zone in the Hull Breach. He saw the Cabal and the Hive fighting like it was never going to end. More Hive was created, and then more Cabal landed. He kind of wanted for them to just keep on going until they wiped each other out but Spencer knew that it wasn't possible. Every single second that Oryx had meant he was getting ready to launch his attack on the Tower. Spencer would rather lose everything that he knew, all of his memories, everything that made him, him before he let that happen.

Zavala had not been ready for them, so he had sent them along while he finalized another mission for another team of Guardians who had a shorter travel time than them. JJ was taking readings for Ikora Rey while Aaron was just looking around like Spencer was.

"Guardians," Zavala said as Spencer's comm crackled to life. " Oryx could be anywhere on the Dreadnaught. With time, we could find him, but we don't have time. The Cabal has been there long enough to have real field intelligence. The path to Oryx lies on their ship."

"You got it," Aaron said. He pointed toward the cargo bay doors of the ship that was crashed into the Dreadnaught. The doors were closed.

"The Cabal is still holding out...multiple survivors," Spencer said over the comms.

"Survival is a temporary condition. Cut through them, and get inside their ship," Zavala commanded.

"Who fights this hard to protect a crashed ship?" GARCIA asked.

"That's not a crash site, it's a beachhead," Zavala said. "Only way those doors will open is to send reinforcements. Draw them out."

"This is going to be fun. Spencer, JJ you go down there and work on both Hive and Cabal. I'm going to stay here and work on long shots and covering your back."

"Sure." Spencer looked to see that there was a lot of Hive spawned at the moment. "JJ, you take Cabal. I'll work on cutting down the Hive so that we aren't flooded with them." Spencer drew his twin swords and started in the direction the Hive was coming from. He heard the first fire of Aaron's Sniper Rifle and turned back to look at him. Spencer knew that could never be him. He could never be that patient with his finger on a trigger. To find that perfect shot that killed or injured. That protected. Spencer had never felt safer being alone on a battlefield than when Aaron was behind him on a ledge ready to kill for him.

Life had changed a lot in the wake of the Collapse. Spencer had turned harder, becoming what was needed to protect his people, his new people. Aaron was the same, learning how to stand on his own two feet in the face of his father, even if it had got him killed. Spencer looked at JJ who was working her way to the beachhead by staying behind things. He had wondered at each of the others that made up the Fireteam of GARCIA's Guardians. What their life had been like before they died.

JJ engaged the Cabal while Spencer snuck up behind an Acolyte and removed it's head before it could signal it's buddies that he was there. Spencer worked his way through all of them killing them from behind until there were none left and all that was left in front of him was Cabal. Spencer sheathed his swords and drew his Pulse Rifle.

"I think you got their attention," G.A.R.C.I.A. said as the ship started to make a rumbling noise.

"When those doors open, fight through it," Zavala commanded.

The doors of the ship opened and out came a Colossus along with more troops. Spencer looked back to see that Aaron had already closed up shop and was most of the way to him and JJ. He turned back around to see that the Cabal was not really paying attention to them but the new Hive that had spawned into the area. Spencer started toward a little ledge that if they climbed would drop them right at the cargo doors of the ship and hopefully they could slip through without returning too much fire.

As Spencer passed inside of the ship, he looked at the writing on the plate just inside. The name of the ship was the Dantalion Exodus VI.

"What next?" JJ asked.

"Cabal protocol is to detonate any ship that crashes. If they haven't, after all of this time, it must be a base of operations. They're looking for something on the Dreadnaught. See what they know about Oryx."

Spencer waited to hear if Zavala said anything else, but he didn't. JJ took up the lead, so Spencer ran to catch up to her. He could hear Aaron's soft steps behind him on the metal floor and was happy that Aaron had their backs. The first room that they came upon was a hanger of sorts. There was Cabal inside, looking like they were heading to the door that the team had just entered through. There was also no way to sneak past them. It was going to have to be a firefight.

It had become easy, figuring out how to fight past the Phalanxes that tried to keep them back. Their shields were good but not good enough considering that the shields did not protect their feet or part of the arm they used to fire their guns. Spencer aimed for those sections while JJ and Aaron worked on the Legionaries and the Psions that were trying to surround them.

The next room had turbines in it, there was one running. GARCIA appeared to scan it.

"There's still enough power moving through this ship for it to take off..." GARCIA said out loud so that all of them could hear it, even Zavala.

"They won't leave until they get what they came for. A lesson I learned the hard way from Valus Ta'aurc. He didn't know every dog had its day until he saw his last. These will, too."

A few more Cabal entered the room, and Spencer let Aaron and JJ handle it. GARCIA had a lock on a terminal. Spencer took out a few of the Cabal that was in his way and then set up to protect GARCIA as she hacked the terminal.

"This should have the info we're looking for." GARCIA hovered around the terminal.

Spencer saw her when he did his corner to corner sweep with his eyes. There were two doorways that would all Cabal to try and get the drop on them. He wasn't going to let them.

"The Cabal have located Oryx! He's protected in the center of the Dreadnaught, reachable only through something they call... a 'Rupture.'"

"Must be some kind of portal. Have the Cabal found one?" Spencer asked.

"They've got a team heading for it right now," G.A.R.C.I.A. said.

"Then I suggest you get there first." The command from Zavala was sharp, and it had Spencer moving as GARCIA set up a beacon on the screen.

Aaron and JJ caught up with Spencer easily, and they made their way through the crashed ship. The ship's alarms were more obvious in this part and really annoying to Spencer. He had no way of shutting them up, so he tried his hardest to ignore them. The location on his HUD changed to the Mausoleum. Spencer knew that location. He was kind of shocked that such an easy to get to place was the location of the rupture. He would have assumed that it would have been deeper inside of the ship, just like where Oryx was. There was a considerable door blocking them, and it took a few seconds for the trigger to realize that there people there and the door to start to lower. There were the sounds of a lot of fighting going on the other side of it.

The area of the Mausoleum they were in was very different from the area they had run through before so Spencer exited the ship with caution until the lay of the land could be had. The first enemies that he saw were Taken but beyond them were Cabal, Hive, and other Taken fighting. That was strange to see Hive fighting the Taken but then if Spencer were Hive, he would as well. He would not want to be took by Oryx at all.

"We've found the Cabal team headed for the Rupture. They're outnumbered by Taken." GARCIA told Zavala.

"Forget what they say about 'the enemy of my enemy'--Something stands between you and the Rupture, put it down."

"With impunity," Aaron said.

Spencer waited for Aaron to find a spot and he did atop a broken column of some kind to set up to snipe.

"JJ do you want to go into the fray down below or protect Aaron?" Spencer asked. There was nowhere that Aaron could cover his own ass given how open they were. Any place he would be protected, he would also not be able to see the field of battle below.

"I'm going to stay here. I think I can get a spray and pray going with my machine gun if needed. You are better at slipping in and out of troops like that."

"Sure." Spencer made sure that his Sidearm was ready, but he drew his Pulse Rifle. He slowly walked down the ramp that dirt made. The fact that it seemed like the ship had dirt floors was a little creepy to Spencer.

"The CVabal are not going to last much longer," Aaron said.

"I know, but we can't just let the Taken wipe them out and turn to us."

"Oh, agreed." There was a tone of pride in Aaron's words as he responded to Spencer's words.

Spencer liked it when Aaron was proud of him. He fought through Taken and Cabal until he could see what he assumed was the Rupture. He had not paid any attention to that area the last time they had been in the room even though they had passed right next to it. Spencer was almost to where Primus Ta'aun was fighting when Taken Wizards popped into existence right around the Cabal Commander.

"Fuck," Spencer said as Primus Ta'aun was Taken. "Oryx just recruited a Centurion!" That act also wiped out all of the Cabal forces that were left. It was just Taken left.

"Let him take all he wants. He won't be around long enough for it to matter," Zavala said.

Spencer sprinted across the area to get to the area that looked at the Rupture. There was just a massive expanse of nothing between where Spencer was and where the Rupture was.

"What next?" Spencer asked. He felt something hit his back and turned around to see a Taken Knight falling to his death after he had been clipped by a bullet from Aaron's Sniper Rifle.

"Eris, what's their next move?" Zavala asked.

The comm channel crackled, and then Eris's name popped up on the HUD. "Toland spoke of statues the Hive use to navigate Ruptures."

"Let's go hunting while killing Hive," JJ said.

Spencer kind of liked how bloodthirsty all of the females on the team where including GARCIA when the case warranted it. Spencer turned to start his hunt for a statue. There was an image to look for, but given the fact that there were none around, it wouldn't be hard to miss.

"I'll see if it's still active," GARCIA said over the comm channel. Spencer wondered if it was Aaron or JJ"s. "It's linked to the Rupture, but I can't understand how the Hive control it. Let's try another statue."

Spencer saw something and walked to look at it. It was half there, but the rest was buried under dirt. GARCIA appeared to scan it.

"Yes! The statues control where the Rupture leads. They could deliver us to Oryx!" Eris sounded excited.

Spencer turned to see that Aaron was down below at the third statue.

"...it's dead. But something's happening at the Rupture!" GARCIA said.

Spencer ran and blinked up to where he could see the Rupture. With a boom, the Rupture shot forward, and in the middle of the arch, there was now a portal of some kind. Spencer wanted to go to it and research it, get readings and various air samples but there was no way he was going to get that close.

"FALLBACK!" Aaron yelled just as what looked like dozens of thrall started to flood out of the portal.

"The Thrall will smother your Light! Do not underestimate them as Tarlowe did!" Eris actually sounded scared.

Spencer looked around for a safe place to settle, but there was nowhere. He turned around to look at the Thrall and dropped his Pulse Rifle to the ground to draw his swords. He took the head off of the first that reached him. Spencer heard the shots from Aaron and from JJ but he pushed those aside, and he focused on the Thrall that was rushing at him. His nightmares were no longer filled with these creatures. Instead, there were darker, worse things there and the Thrall were just a footnote in it all.

"Forget about the Thrall! Get through that Rupture!"

Spencer ignored Zavala's command as he heard Aaron's Sniper Rifle stopping on firing. He hoped that one of the two of them was going to go for it. Spencer watched as JJ called her storm to her body and killed the Thrall as she rushed toward the Rupture. She was tossed back like a rag doll, landing and it seemed to stun her. Spencer moved to stand in front of her and protected her while she brought her senses back.

"We aren't getting in that way," Spencer said.

"Then it's true—only the Ascendant can will a rupture to open," Eris sounded very thoughtful which given the Thrall that was still flowing out of the portal, he wondered if she cared about them as long as someone was there to step up to kill Oryx.

The Thrall stopped, and Spencer moved to look at JJ as he heard Aaron's running steps toward them. Aaron stopped and picked up Spencer's gun before walking over to hand it over.

"There's something Ascendant passing through right now!"

Spencer spun around to look at the portal as two Taken Knights stepped out of it and then something even bigger and flying did. It was just like the thing that had been in the room where Cayde had hidden the stealth drive.

"Shit," Spencer said as he started to fire at the Echo of Oryx. He heard JJ's Machine Gun fire next and then Aaron's Hand Cannon. JJ's super was blown, but Aaron should have his and Spencer's was itching to be freed. He just wanted to get the two Knights together. Spencer changed his fire to work on the Knights, collaring them together before he readied his Nova Bomb to drop on all three of them. The Echo of Oryx flew away, but he was still getting hammered by JJ and Aaron, so Spencer didn't worry. A few other Taken tried to come through the portal only to get trapped by the Nova Bomb and die before they could even get fully into their realm.

Spencer heard Aaron's Golden Gun going off, and the Echo of Oryx almost shuddered and then refocused trying to take them out. Spencer shouldered his gun and climbed up a little platform to get level with where the Echo of Oryx was floating. It was like a move that had been talked about beforehand. Aaron and JJ started to fire to where the Echo moved closer to Spencer. When the Echo was close, Spencer jumped bringing both swords down into where the spine would be on a human. The Echo thrashed as Spencer's swords sliced through its entire body. By the time that Spencer was landing, hard, on his feet, the Echo was disappearing.

""The rupture is closed."

Spencer turned to his right as he looked at the Rupture to see that it was indeed closed.

"It will only open for Ascendant Hive," Eris said over the comms.

"Then... how do we reach Oryx?" GARCIA asked.

"Become your enemy. Become Ascendant."

"We'll sort this out, Guardian. Head back to the Tower when you can." Zavala did not sound well pleased by that statement that Eris made about becoming Ascendant.

Spencer wasn't well pleased by it either. He understood what that more than what Eris probably did. He swallowed and clenched his hand that held the ring that he wore that connected him to his siblings even if they were dead. If that were what was needed to defeat Oryx, Spencer would do it, but he didn't like it. Spencer touched that part of him that was connected to that realm, and he felt the pulse. Yeah, him getting to the Ascendant Realm wasn't going to be an issue, but he would need to make it so that Aaron and JJ could follow him as well.

There was a lot that was going to be revealed at the time that they did whatever was needed to allow them to get into the Ascendant Realm. Spencer wasn't going to hold back after JJ and Aaron were able to enter there, but until then, he would keep that a secret. He did not want to have to be forced to ignore an order because he wasn't going in there alone.

# The End

**Author's Note:**

> I write fanfiction for fun. It's a hobby and a stress relief. I refuse to stress over my writing. What you see is what you get. Errors, plot holes, and all. Thank you for reading my story! 
> 
> I can be found on MeWe (a FB replacement that's better) [here](https://mewe.com/i/beccaqueen1), join me there and we can discuss my fics and whatnot. My writing page for the moment is kind of dead in the water on a FB front as links are being banned for content.


End file.
